Efforts have long been directed toward developing an engine, or more generally a gearing apparatus, which could accomplish the conversion of reciprocatory translational energy to continuous rotational energy without the use of a crankshaft. The crankshaft of an engine is prone to wear and failure, and is considered to be a mechanically inefficient mechanism for the conversion of such energy.
It is known to mount an oval plate (called, in the art, a "slant" or a "swash plate") obliquely on a rotational shaft to receive and convert translational movement. It has not been known, however, to mount a matching slant on the translational shaft to transmit the movement and assist in its conversion. Rather, conventional slant mechanisms use means as bearings, races or wheels to transmit the translational movement directly from the translational shaft to the slant on the rotational shaft.
Prior developments in this field may be generally illustrated by reference to the following patents:
______________________________________ Patent No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ 2,170,058 E. Larkin Aug. 22, 1939 2,548,686 T. Sherman Apr. 10, 1951 1,819,826 T. Sherman Aug. 18, 1931 1,213,850 J. Emley Jan. 30, 1917 1,006,269 W. Phifer Oct. 17, 1911 960,575 F. Negley Jun. 07, 1910 1,127,065 C. Milne Feb. 02, 1915 2,387,908 F. Howard Oct. 30, 1945 ______________________________________
Most of these patents show mechanical movements for engines and the like whereby translational movement is converted to rotary (or the reverse, in the case of the pump of U.S. Pat. No. 960,575) using slant apparatus.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,548,868, 1,819,826, and 2,170,058 utilize slipper bearings to connect reciprocating rods to rotating slants. U.S. Pat. Nos. 960,575 and 1,006,269 utilize rollers interconnected with the rods to engage tracks in the slants.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,127,065 has knobs on the periphery of the slant that engage sockets in the rods.
The rest of the patents are representative of what is in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,213,850 and 2,387,908 illustrate "wabbler" drives, which drives utilize a type of motion somewhat similar to slant drives, but which drives are not true slants.